Mrs. Claypool

Check out the Tours By Locals website. They have a lot of different options for tours and transfers of various lengths all over Hong Kong.

We did Uniworld’s Milan/Venice cruise last summer. Because of the condition of the Po river (low and dry) there was very little actual cruising involved. The ship was basically parked in Venice the whole time (which was not a bad thing) and the daily excursions to surrounding towns and into the countryside were all done by bus. As pontac’s map shows, the ship sailed to Burano one day and to Chioggia another day for sight-seeing and then back to Venice for the night.

We sailed Uniworld in France, Italy and down the Danube last summer. There was no assigned seating and we had no trouble finding a table for two when we felt like eating by ourselves.

We used Welcome Pickups in Greece for airport/city transfers and were very pleased with their service and support. I just checked their website and they also operate in Bucharest. https://www.welcomepickups.com

The only time that I’ve ever wished for insect repellent on a European river cruise was during a ship’s excursion to a noble estate in the Po river valley. The mosquitoes were something FIERCE. Even the horses had to wear protective canvas masks when they were out to pasture, a sight that I had never seen before. But this area was far from the actual cruising route of the ship itself.

Not that I recall. That option isn’t listed on the laundry invoice.

Here are the prices from our European river cruises on Uniworld last year. They did the most wonderful job. When I put on one of my old t-shirts, it felt like I was wearing a cloud! Shirt/Blouse - 4.80 euros Trousers/Jeans - 5.50 euros Skirt/Shorts - 4 euros T-shirt - 2 euros Socks (pair) - 1 euro Pajamas - 4.5 euros Underwear - 1.75 euros There were separate prices for pressing only, if you’re interested.

I received that same email message, encouraging us to use all of our EI subcredits before they expire. Thing is, we HAVE already used all 5 of our subcredits as partial payments on bookings that will take place before December 31 of next year. So I expect the email was sent to us in error. For Cancun01– we made bookings with at least 4 of these subcredits even after we had received the $4,450 settlement money, and Crystal still went ahead and accepted our remaining subcredits. So it appears that the EI offer is still good. Emily

Yes, I freaked out when I first experienced the name mash-up, and spent pointless time trying to separate them— to no avail! But now I just ignore it and they always let me on the,plane anyway. 😄

Not to sound like a delicate little flower, but in 50 years of taking long-haul flights across the Pacific, I have never found any way to sit comfortably or sleep peacefully in Economy class. All I could do was put up with the discomfort until we finally landed. I just couldn’t make it happen until we started booking Premium Economy or Business. See if you can find a decently-priced Premium Economy flight to your destination. I think EVA’s Premium Economy class is just great. They fly to all points East, generally with a stopover in Taipei. Emily

We had the same experience on a Seabourn voyage last spring, and I had the same thoughts as you. it’s sad to hear that there have evidently been no improvements during the intervening year.

Parisi Udvar is beautiful, the food is excellent and the staff was very kind when we stayed there several years ago. If you watch the “Vienna Blood” PBS series, which take place in Belle Epoque Vienna, the two detectives often have tea in the public rooms that greydog has pictured above, as they discuss the gruesome psychological murders that they are investigating!

We have used Welcome Pickups several times to go to and from the Athens airport to Piraeus port. They provide an excellent service. Many people also recommend George’s taxi for Athens and Greece in general.

As an example, we were on the Serenity last month and we used our on-board credits to buy: 1. A lovely hat for me in the shop, 2. A bottle of connoisseur wine for my husband from the sommelier, 3. A ship’s excursion into the capital city for us both. No problems whatsoever. Emily

Definitely do your research before you leave. As pontac rightly pointed out, international business is funny. When I am eyeing an item in a foreign land, my dear husband generally says “Don’t bother. We can get the same thing cheaper at home.” And he’s usually right! Don’t even get me started about the Birkenstock sandals that I bought in Germany for $120, and then found at Costco for less than $50 when we got back home.